Hospital patients to gain online access to health records in Brampton and Etobicoke

Patients receiving care at William Osler Health System will soon be able to access their own hospital records online as part of a major digital transformation set to roll out across Brampton and Etobicoke hospitals next year.

The health system is launching a new Hospital Information System (HIS) in October that will replace multiple existing platforms and paper-based records with a single, unified digital record for each patient.

Officials say the change is designed to improve efficiency for care teams while also giving patients and families greater access to their own health information through a secure online portal.

The system, developed in partnership with global health technology company Epic, will allow patients to view test results, appointments and other medical information through the MyChart platform. It will also help reduce the need for patients to repeatedly provide their medical history when moving between departments or services.

“Patients and families will experience more connected and personalized care at Osler,” said Sharon MacSween, Associate Vice President of Health Information System. “With one record that follows patients throughout their care journey, care teams can spend less time searching for information and more time delivering high-quality care.”

Osler says the new system will create a single, shared health record across its hospitals, ensuring care teams are working from the same up-to-date information regardless of where a patient is treated within the organization.

The organization describes the project as one of the largest clinical transformations in its history, aimed at improving safety, reducing duplication and streamlining communication between care providers.

“The implementation of our new hospital information system is about much more than technology,” said David Stankiewicz, Vice President of Digital Transformation and Chief Information and Privacy Officer. “It will help our teams share information more easily, reduce duplication, and provide safer, more connected care.”

Beyond patient access and efficiency, the new system will also introduce artificial intelligence tools designed to support clinical staff.

Osler says AI features built into the Epic platform will be used to help identify important information and improve workflows, but will not replace clinical decision-making.

“These tools will support our teams, but human judgment will always guide patient care,” Stankiewicz said.

Osler President and CEO Dr. Frank Martino said the investment reflects the organization’s ongoing evolution alongside the communities it serves.

“This new hospital information system will help us deliver more connected care and support better health outcomes for our patients and communities,” Martino said.